Festival of Lights
by hts911
Summary: Two unlikely companions, a crazed man hunting them down, a giant bounty over both their heads, and the fact that they had over 3000 miles of land to cover was enough to teach them both that the destination is crap. Its all about the journey. GrimmNel
1. Chapter 1

**1**

It was never silent in Los Noches. The idea of the most blood thirsty and unforgiving city resting in a moment of peace was one terrified by most of their citizens. Even the death of one of their greatest figures could not stop the slayings that were to come within the city's walls. In fact, the most likely reaction from the citizens of Los Noches would be a riot filling the streets, burning everything in their path.

So the fact that Los Noches was silent, even for a series of moments, should have raised the alarms of every being within that city. In all reality, most felt the pinprick that something life changing was soon to happen, yet none felt so inclined as to go see what this something could be. One man and everyman for himself, was their motto. So as they all sat silently within the recesses of their own personal safety, the only conclusion that any would allow themselves to come to is that a tragedy was in the works. One that would be so horrific, that the city would go into an uproar and blood would paint these streets red.

Deep within the confines of Los Noches, lay the central palace in the middle of the city. It was pristine in condition, bathed in white in ill representation of the amount of purity that its walls so held. The structure itself was obnoxiously large in size with 5 towers shooting out to the heavens that most of the people inside would never reach. And like the rest of Los Noches, the palace was abnormally quiet, but silent, it was not.

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><p>Inside the mass of winding hallways that filled the maze like building, within one of the many rooms, sat a long white table occupied by four bodies. At the head of this table, stood a man of high power staring at the companions around him with a look of anguish splashed across his face On his left, sat his fox faced friend, a condescending smirk gracing his thin lips. On his right was a dark skinned blind man, long hair cascading down his shoulders in braids, face impassive.<p>

The rooms fourth occupant stood out from the others, being the youngest one there matched by the bright color of her green hair. Her expression remained aloof, despite the dislike and distrust that she held within for every man within the room. Everything about this situation struck her as odd, and she had a thick feeling that she knew what was to come next. And what was next would bring no good to anyone, involved or not, except for the man at the head of this table himself.

Said man's eyes were currently sweeping over the 3 beings within the room, sizing up every one of them. Cool, calm, and calculated was he on the inside, but for the moment, he would play the part of the ever so grieving tool. No matter the loss of sanctity, though. Tonight was a night of celebration. Tonight was a night of justice. Tonight was _his _night. Tonight all his plans would fall into place and everything would change.

"Friends," he spoke, his words shattering the silence that had previously filled the room. His tone demanding authority, sympathetic laced with sheer power. "Comrades." His gaze swept the room once more before settling on the only woman in his presence. "And the prized possession of the very man we sought so hard to please.

"There is treachery within these walls. A most gruesome deed has been carried out. For last night a terrible crime has been committed in a desperate attempt to strip us of our foundation, by killing the man that every citizen of Los Noches holds dear to their heart. Some murderous, vile _creature_ has taken the life of our king. And I come here to say that this _will not_ be accepted. We will punish this murderer, an eye for an eye, for his sorry attempt at breaking us apart will not be taken lightly. Los Noches…Hueco Mundo… we will _prosper._ For the murderer has been caught and he so shall pay for the crimes that he has committed.

He finished his speech, eyes swarming over each occupant, just begging them to ask the question that he sought so dearly to answer. The blind man sat silent under his gaze, while the green haired woman's expression had yet to change. The only one who seemed willing to play part in this man's mind game was his silver haired friend.

The man smirked, opening his eyes ever so slightly wider, biting into the bait lain out before him. "So who is he?"

For a moment, one tiny moment, the brown haired man allowed the smirk that he had been holding back all this time to grace his face. But in a flash it was gone so quick, as if it had never been there in the first place, its effect replaced with that given by the name that came out of his mouth.

"Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez."

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><p>Footsteps were created beneath the young woman's feet as she stealthily made her way down the halls and steps of the palace that she knew so well. Since she had woken up and looked at herself in the mirror that morning, doubts about what she was about to do had clouded her mind. But after that meeting that had taken place merely two hours ago, her suspicions had been heightened and her resolve, firmed. She had to go out with this plan; it was the only option. And if it failed…then the world would be shattered into pieces.<p>

Pale moonlight streamed into the tiny cell through a small barred window, basking the space in its ethereal glow. It made the only occupant's bright blue hair shine stark white, the sweat clinging to his muscles glistening, as he paced back and forth across the expanse of the room. Through the bars of the cell door, he could see the owners' of his neighboring cells were already fast asleep. All the better for his plan.

He had nothing to gather to bring with him; he had nothing with him that he even called his own. All he had with him had been confiscated in his capture. For what they had arrested him he did not know. All he knew was that if his trump card didn't appear soon, he would be dead.

Ears perked at a muted jingling of metal, alerting him to the fact that his plan was about to be set into action. And just like that, he was able to stop pacing, making his way to the front of the cell, leaning up against the bars. He looked as far to his right as the vantage point would allow him to, grinning when he saw a cloaked figure. The figure made its way down the line up of cells and the moment it was within his reach, he reached out his arm, pulling the figure up against the bars.

"Gotcha' woman," he whispered, amusement laced in his voice. "Get lost on your way down to hell?"

The cloaked woman merely slapped his hand away. "I don't really see you in the position to be making snide comments as such to the person who holds you life in their hands."

A smirk lit up across his face, his blue eyes boring into hazel. "That's really such an empty threat to make when we both know that if I'm gone then you might as well just die too."

Hazel eyes narrowed, flashing with red, its gaze sending him mentally reeling back. "Don't forget that we are not, nor will we ever be on such friendly terms. Do not make the mistake of forgetting who is indebted to whom."

He stood his ground, unwilling to let her know what sort of affect her unspoken threat had on him. "Oh don't worry about that, princess. Now are you gonna let me outta here or not?"

A sharp click resounded through the cell ridded space, answering his question. Without a moment to be spared, he was out of the cell, the woman unlocking the shackles binding his wrists, He glared at her, holding back the urge to crush her slender neck the moment he was free, her threat still in his mind.

"Shall we go now?' she asked, meeting his gaze as he rubbed his chaffed, red wrists.

The wild smirk played on his lips, his eyes sparking fiercely. "You lead the way."

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><p><strong>AN: So heres the story I'll be working on when I'm not working on my other story, The Third (check that out). This has no relation to the festival of lights (I think that's what it's called) that happens in India. So I hope anyone reading likes what I'm dishin out and says what they think (no pressure). I'll have more info next chapter.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: So yes, the extra info I mentioned last chapter. Well there's a better summary of the story on my profile so you can read that if you're curious. Also, there will be language and violence in this story, because I have a dirty mouth to match my mind. Thirdly, imagine Grimmjow's character as if he still has the mask fragment on his face and the eye markings (its important in the story) and no hollow hole (because that has no relevance in the story). Fouth, if you thought this was a romantic comedy, you are probably wrong (probably because I'm making this up as I go along and have a poor sense of humor). Fifth, imaginge Nel without the mask fragmenty pieces, but with the pink strip across her nose (cuz we all just _love _the strip for some strange reason). And lastly, enjoy the chapter because I spent some time of my life on it that I will never get back.**

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><p><strong>2<strong>

The rising sun peeked over the landscape of the pristine white desert sand, casting its early morning rays of light into the open windows of the palace of Los Noches. On the outside, it seemed as if everything was the same as it had been since the death of the king. On the inside, the palace was boiling in silent uproar.

A lone servant stood in the quarters that of the young heir to the throne, a look of sheer panic splashed across her face as she gazed aimlessly out into the sun framed by the window before her. The sheets on the bed lay crumpled up, dotted with tiny drops of blood, the pillow nearly shredded in half. The jewelry box that once sat so proudly on the vanity, now rested on the floor, its contents broken and scattered about. Porcelain lay crushed on the floor, the only remnant of the elaborate vase that it once was, reminding everyone that walked into the room of what sort of state that they were currently in. Chaos. A state of sheer chaos.

A tall brunette man made his way into the room, silently surveying its state before turning to face the servant in front of him. "You have checked all over the grounds?" he asked, voice cool, calculated.

The slight woman nodded, the nerves and anxiety shaking within her frame. "We have looked everywhere and have yet to find a trace. The guards say they had not seen her, or anyone for that matter, leave the grounds last night."

"Then it is as I suspected," the man let out, sighing heavily. "We have once again been confronted with terror. Our prized prisoner is gone and has taken our land's last precious gift with it. It has been decided: Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez must _die_."

* * *

><p>The vast sea of sand known as the vast territory of Los Noches cloaked the lone three beings in its presence. The area was remote, a place that no one would dare to go out into just for adventures sake, and for those three beings that had decided to take this place as their refuge, this fact played in their favor.<p>

Just being a widely known suspect of a crime in this land was hard enough, knowing that you couldn't trust anybody not to throw you over to the government just for a little bit of reward money that would be gone to alcohol and gambling in less than a month's time. Coupled with the fact that this 'suspect' had managed to escape from his prison in the palace of Los Noches and bring their heir with him, put him as the number one target for anyone looking to score a bit of cash or glory. And her…well, she was just trouble waiting to happen.

Leaning back onto the heels of his feet, the blue haired man let out a low whistle. "Shit," he let out slowly, surveying the ground around him. "Can't believe that actually worked."

His green haired companion didn't answer, merely gazing off into the shining moon that rested off in the distance. Despite her lack of acknowledgement towards the words that had came out of her companion's mouth, she'd heard him and had been thinking the exact same thing. Even in her own mind, the idea of her helping a highly wanted criminal out of the palace's prison and riding away into the night on his oversized cat sounded 100% crazy. But the fact of the matter was that it had indeed actually happened.

After releasing him from his cell the previous night, she'd led him out of the palace through all the underground passages known only to the royal family for use during times of danger. From there, all the guiding had been up to him.

_The darkness of the night surrounded the pair, as they stood panting, barely out of the city's walls. The blue haired man looked around, eyes wild and alert, silently looking for something that only he could se. He sensed it, he felt it, and took off for it, dragging his companion down an invisible path of sand that only his senses knew of. Making their way across the sand, the blue haired man let out a series of low growls, ears twitching the whole time before he came to a complete halt. The green haired woman behind him bumped into him at the sudden lack of movement, glancing around, confused._

_"What did you –"_

_Then she heard it. The fast and heavy footsteps sounding out across the silent desert beneath the creature's feet. She allowed her eyes to follow down the same path as the young man's, seeing a pristine smatter of white against the dark night. The mass came closer, it's thundering speed incredible. One moment it was rushing right at them, and the next, with a rush of air, it was gone._

_A smirk stretched over Grimmjow's face as he heard the last of the pounding footfalls echo out behind the duo. He turned, pulling his shell shocked partner around with him, his smirk morphing into a crazed grin slathered across his face._

_"What is that?" Neliel asked, voice nearly wavering._

_The grin on Grimmjow's face stretched wider. "Not that, _her._ This is Pantera."_

_The beast that stood in front of them was giant feline. White fur, pristine like snow, grew out across its body, bright blue eyes flashing dangerously. Her tail swayed slowly from side to side, occasionally whipping out with a threatening snap. Razor sharp claws protruded from her paws, grazing through the sand. Ferocious. Primal. Just like him._

_"Princess, you can think of me as your night in shining armor, and Pantera here can be my right hand man and trusty steed." The man ginned at his own words, making his way over to the large feline and running his hand smoothly through its fur. "You can pet her if ya' want. You know, to see if she likes you and all. No promises on your safety though. Pantera has a horrible mean streak. Not to mention, she can smell fear."_

_Nose wrinkled up, the green haired woman erased all nervousness from her face. Stepping up cautiously, she made her way over to the large cat, slowly running her hand over its fur. A slow purr erupted from within the creature, and with a small sound from Grimmjow, it was on its knees._

_He chuckled darkly, giving the woman in front of him a smirk. "She likes ya' princess."_

_With little effort, he mounted the creature, reaching a hand down for the woman to grab onto. With a small sense of uncertainty, she grasped onto his hand, his firm grip closing around hands that weren't as dainty and frail as he had always assumed them to be. Giving a slow tug, he easily managed to pull her up onto the cat's back behind him._

_Pantera rose to her feet, taking 3 easy steps forward, as if getting used to the added weight on her back, before taking off into the desert, a route already marked in her mind._

"Where are we?" the green haired young woman asked her makeshift guide. Seeing as she'd never had a lot of opportunities to get out of the walls of Los Noches by herself and the times she did were not pleasant, she hadn't a clue about the territory.

"Hueco Mundo," the man answered, giving the obvious answer just because he knew it would get under the young woman's skin.

"So you don't know where we are?"

"Where we are now doesn't matter," he spoke matter-of-factly. "I know that, besides me, there's no one dangerous around and I know what direction to take from here. Far as I'm concerned, we know all the important shit."

He settled into Pantera's side glaring up at the moon that never seemed to turn to sun. Darkness. He was used to it. Didn't mean he had to like it. The silence was his closest friend and his greatest enemy. Just like old times. He couldn't stand it.

"You ever been outside the city?"

He had to break it. It was just too much.

She was silent, eyebrows raised in his direction, questioning his sudden interest in her life. "Yes," she answered slowly. "But not usually by myself on most occasions. I don't remember the geography all that much."

He nodded. "Can see why they'd keep you all locked up. It's a tough world outside those palace walls. Kill or be killed. Steal to live, live to steal. Not really something that the heads like to pay any mind to."

She looked at him, through him, internally sensing his detest for their state of rule. Not that it was difficult for her to understand. Hueco Mundo is what all the other countries jokingly referred to as the world's only monarchic anarchy. "How can something within rule be so chaotic?"

"Because the rulers are corrupt dumb fucks with too much power and not enough brains to know the proper ways to use it."

Brows rose once more. "And you believe that had you the power, that wouldn't be you?"

He gave her another one of his feral smirks. "Baby, I was born to be a king. Bloodline ain't got nothing to do with it." His eyes slowly roamed her frame. "But if marrying into the family is what it takes, I'd be more than happy to –"

"Don't finish that sentence."

His eyes flashed with amusement as his head tilted back in a bout of laughter. "Correct you are. Because princess, despite how much of a pretty face your lousy ancestors have allowed you, I can't handle that uptight attitude f yours. Speaks bloodline gained authority, which means nothing to me."

She gifted him a small smirk. "And let me guess. You hate the idea of inheriting authority?"

The feral grin remained plastered onto his face. "With a passion."

They them sat there once more in a muted silence, Grimmjow once more uncomfortable, Neliel basking in its melancholic air. Everything was calm, as if time had somehow managed to slow down.

"Where do we go from here?" Neliel asked, looking up at the moon shining over the vast space.

Grimmjow looked over at her, following his gaze up towards the moon that she didn't happen to look half bad in. "I've got a small temporary residence not far from here. It's where I keep all my supplies. If all goes according to plan, we should be there by this time tomorrow and can eat when we arrive." He gave her a lazy smirk. "Cause I know your kind don't happen to be used to skipping out on all those '7 course meals'."

She scoffed softly, still not looking over at him. "For someone who is under the impression that it is their destiny to be king, you happen to be very anti-custom."

He allowed his eyes to slip closed, lazily resting his head against his interlocked hands, not about to grant her statement any sort of response. He opened one eye to sneak a quick glance over at her, smirking in satisfaction. He drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts resounding in his head.

'Haughty as hell. Good thing I enjoy the challenge of breaking shit.'

As easy as sleep came for Grimmjow, it was as hard for Neliel to find the same comfort. Lonely. No. That wasn't the word for it. _Dead._ That described it so much better. 1 year and 6 months since she had last been in Hueco Mundo, outside the city. 1 year since she had found out about the prophecy.

Her hand absentmindedly made its way up to the top of her head, lightly feeling around her scalp. Flashes of pain wracked her skull, and she had yet to even make the terrible contact. Two new bumps of raised flesh protruded from her skull, two new growths of this cursed bloodline within her head, body, mind, and soul. Two new members of the internal family of what made Nel be Nel. It had taken at least a whole year for all that other stuff to start happening. But it only took a month for those fragments to start growing.

Eyes trained onto the moon, wishing for the impossible. She felt so entrapped, while at the same time, so free. All this space and all the space to come. The opportunities were endless. So what would she do with them? Where would she go from here?

Lost in her thoughts, she drifted off, following her companions into dreams of white oceans of sand, blue haired kings, and leaping wild cats. _Euphoric._ Just when danger was rearing its ugly head around the corner.

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><p><strong>AN: Ooooh...suspense. Man I love Grimmjow's character. Too bad I'm not much for writing him as a total perv because I could take their relationship places with that. I also love the whole giant cat thing, because I spent my whole childhood wishing I had a giant cat to ride around on. So, yeah, I plan to build on both Nel and Grimmjow's backgrounds which, as you readers can see, have some depth to them. Gotta keep it fresh, you know. Keep it interesting. So thanks to all who have read up to this point, and if you don't mind sparing the effort, leave a review (cuz trust me, I know what its like to not feel like reviewing something or just plain not having anything to say about it for any reason so I won't hold it against you).<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I am officialy in hate with this chapter. Or maybe I'm just as irritable as I think I am and belive that anything I porduce is crap. Nope. I think its the first option. But as they say, better luck next time, right.**

* * *

><p><strong>3<strong>

No sun peeked out over the horizon to alert the duo of travelers when the hours of the morning had arrived. In Los Noches, sun was an artificial in enjoyment. In Hueco Mundo, sun was just a figment of imagination. Instead, they woke to the luminescent moon, unsure of any semblance of time. Was time even a factor in their journey? Vaguely so. But it wouldn't be able to take its necessary effect until they were out of the desert and into another territory.

Regardless of the time of day, Grimmjow insisted that they head out as soon as they were fully awake to make up for any time that possibly could have been lost. According to his earlier calculations, they should reach their destination of his temporary home in a day. Seeing as neither of them had anything to wait around for, they could leave quickly. There was no water, wood to have made a fire or supplies that either of them had other than the clothes on their backs. So leaving was not an issue.

Once again, Grimmjow seated himself onto Pantera's back, running a hand slowly through her fur, listening to her purr softly. He whispered to her in that language that only the two of them seemed to understand, before reaching a hand down to help Nel up.

"Seems like she still likes ya'." Grimmjow drawled out, smirk playing at his lips from the lack of resistance on Pantera's part of the idea of the young heir riding with them. "Guess last night wasn't the fluke that I thought it was." He paused for a moment. "Then again, Pantera's always taking a liking to the demanding type."

Nel made to respond, the words being lost when Grimmjow said the words that motioned for Pantera to go, leaving Nel sitting startled and mouth open. She would've hit him, the idea really was tempting, but he was the one in control of Pantera and she really couldn't see any harm come to the feline. Besides, she'd never be the one to make such crass actions. At least, not with him around.

They rode off into the dark, each within their own private thoughts. With nothing out there to watch but never ending sand and a moon that remained stationary within the sky, the ride was pretty boring. Despite the fact that Grimmjow knew were their destination was, the concept was more of an instinctual thing, leaving him with no internal map keeping to pass the time with and ultimately nothing to do. He'd know when he was there, but until then, he'd just have to wait it out.

While Grimmjow considered this, Nel was lost in thoughts of her own, mainly considering her the bond between her two traveling companions. It really wasn't everyday that you find a wild beast willing to obey or even follow around a human on its own accord. Had she heard of it, yes, but most of the time it was in the form of ancient folklore and was from a story with a moral. So why was Pantera so abiding to the blue haired man?

"Grimmjow," Nel started, voice soft as she tried to find a way to express her thoughts into a clear question. "What is Pantera to you?"

Personally, the question put Grimmjow off a little, not used to even having anyone question his relationship with the feline. What was Pantera? Well, there was no way in hell that she was his pet. She was just always there since the day he had first woke to her. That's all there was to it. He had no doubt that it truly did stretch beyond that, but it was more of a personal thing that he was not in the mood for delving into.

"Don't know," he answered blandly. "Don't really care either."

He looked up, gazing into the vast sea of sand, senses on high. They were almost there. He leaned forward softly commanding Pantera to slow into a stop. Her run easily slipped into a leisurely stroll as they approached the structure they had been heading for, its shape somewhat distorted in the distance.

"Ride's over, princess," he chided to the woman behind him, voice mocking as he slid down. Easily pulling the woman with him. He laughed as she attempted to steady herself from the unexpected change in height. "We're close enough to walk from here, let Pantera take a break."

Feet dragged through the sand as they approached what Grimmjow had previously called his 'home'. In all reality, the place was more of a giant rock structure in the middle of the desert, it innards scooped out to leave it hollow on the inside. By Nel's standards it was more fit for an animal than a human, but when out in the middle of nowhere, anyplace could suffice.

"Home sweet home," Grimmjow let out gruffly, entering the cave slowly. The angle from which the opening was located blocked out the presence of the moon, leaving the inside of the cave pitch black. Dark, but after being in Hueco Mundo for extended periods of time Grimmjow was used to it. His companion on the other hand, well, he was pretty sure that she hadn't had enough time to adjust to this style of living.

"Too dark for ya?" he questioned, a smirk on his lips. She didn't have to see it to know it was there. Choosing not to grace his comment with an answer, she remained in her spot by the opening where more light was available. "Oh don't be like that," he let out chuckling while searching for where he'd left his stash of fire wood that he'd collected.

Finding it quickly, he proceeded to get a fire going in the center of the cave. Leaning back against the wall, he threw out a "Better now?" to the other person in the room.

She didn't answer, instead putting her effort into observing the space. All in all, the area was deserted, save for a stockpiled corner in the back. That one area lay piled up with all of the 'supplies' he must have been talking about earlier. A bag, a sword, and a small gold platelet. Not a lot, but she supposed traveling light was for the best.

Joining her companion by the fire, she gazed into the flames that he happened to find so interesting, wondering what he saw in them. A dull ache rang out from the crown of her head. "I've got this feeling," she let out, gaze not wavering from the flames. "We have to get out of here soon. I say we have four months to get what I need done accomplished. Four months, and its over."

**~...~...~...~**

Deep within the palace, tensions were on a rise. 3 men sat within the throne room, softly discussing their next plan of action and retaliation. Draped lazily across the throne was a brunette man, his mere presence giving off an overbearing air of authority. He listened to the words coming out of each man's mouth, pointing out the flaws and errors within each given plan. He had yet to tell either of the men, but the next plan of action was something that he had already discovered. The next move to make, had already been put into to action by him himself.

Holding up a hand up to signal that the other men should pause, he allowed his gaze to roam heavily over both of them, a calm expression on his face. "I so dearly appreciate all of the suggestions that have been put out, but we have yet to come to a conclusion. The time to act is now and seeing as that time is limited, I believe that it is time for us to move onto plan B."

The silver haired man in the room allowed his face to slip into a smooth frown, slightly confused. 3 seconds later an easy grin had split over his face once more. His eyes darted over to the blind man in t he room, whose expression had not even changed, before switching to the brunette man on the throne. "Whatcha' got planned Lord Aizen?"

The man on the throne smirked slightly, eyes flashing with amusement. "Guards," he called out from across the room. "Send him in."

The doors to the throne room opened slowly, basking the room in dim light. From the light emerged a man, hands and feet cuffed together, a guard on each side of him. They escorted him down the runner stretching down the length of the floor, leading him to the throne. When they deemed him close enough to the man they called master, they stopped him, sword pressed to his neck.

One beady eye looked up at Aizen, the other covered by a patch. The man in front of him was obscenely large in stature, lanky and easily looming over every other occupant of the room. Greasy black hair hung loose around his shoulders, framing a face covered in a large toothy grin. Unlike most, the man did not get down in his knees to bow, rather looking him dead on, staring at the man in pure crazed glee.

"What is your name?" The question came from the elusive blind man in the room.

The tall prisoner sent a glance in the voice's direction, his grin seeming to stretch even wider. "Nnoitra Gilga, at your service."

**~...~...~...~**

Hazel eyes flashed open, a soft gasp bouncing around the walls of the cave in which the green haired woman was in. Her eyes flashed back and forth across the room before finally settling on the blue haired man before her. He sat there, gazing into the fire, not thinking about anything before looking up to meet her eyes.

"Bad dreams princess?" he asked, brow raised, despite the lack of curiosity that he actually held on the topic. There were more important things for him to worry about. Things like getting the hell out of Hueco Mundo and into a world with a sun and a moon. A world that mattered. "Well get over it. Its time to go."

Nel glared at him, getting up slowly, as he made his way over to the corner where he housed all of his supplies. Opening up the bag, he pulled out the few food items that he had managed to obtain before his arrest, tossing half a loaf of stale bread over to the woman, before taking a swig out of the gourd of water.

"Eat up," he threw out in her direction, sliding the gold plated item into his pocket. "It'll be the only thing to eat until we're out of the desert." He reached for his sword, quickly sheathing it and leaving it to settle on his hip. With his weapon in close range again he was slowly beginning to feel the comfort of his old self. Good, or bad, familiar was just what he needed at the moment. He sat his own food aside and began rounding through his bag for his map, smirking to himself in triumph when he grasped it. Shoving everything else back in, he stood, bringing all the items out of the cave to load onto Pantera, hazel eyes watching his every movement the whole time.

Nel finished up her food, softly creeping out of the cave to stave in the moonlight. She walked over to Pantera, absentmindly running her fingers through the fur. "How long will it take to get out of Hueco Mundo?" she asked.

Blue eyes landed on her form, gazing at her inquisitively. "Out of the desert or into civilization?"

"Just out of the desert. Whatever's the quickest way you can find take it."

He raised an eyebrow. "Someone trailin' us already? I thought we had a good few days left before they'd even begin to send scouts out."

Nel shook her head. "No. It may just be a feeling but I'm pretty sure that they've already found someone to hunt us down. And knowing Aizen, he'll want to send out trouble as soon as possible. Our best bet would be getting out of the desert and into territory where most of us would be unfamiliar. We have a better chance at getting lost there."

Grimmjow gazed down at the map, recalculating his route in his head. "Seeing as how close they built Los Noches to the border, I say we should head to the closest border instead of the nearest city. I still think it would be best if we end up at least close to civilization because I'm not sure how long we can survive in the wild with only this few amount of items. We can make it out in half the time, but who knows if that'll even be fast enough with who they could be sending."

"We don't have the time for speculation right now. We'll just follow the new route and head for the green. We can figure all the other stuff on the way."

She received no response other than Grimmjow flicking up the lid to that gold plate and looking inside. "I've got a better plan. Let's say we just 'head for the green' and then wing it, yeah?"

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><p><strong>AN: I'll be honest, I think that that short snippet with Aizen was the highlight of this chapter but I really needed a transition and this was the smoothest I could make it go. I've started on the next chapter nad I'm pretty sure that it is way better than this one.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Yay! I'm back after much consideration on where this story was going. I was actually feeling kind of bad about it because I knew where I wanted it to go, but couldn't find the words to get it there. Then after reading over my reviews (they actually make good encouragements) and finding the story's "soundtrack" of sorts, I was totally inspired and the words just poured out. So yes thank you to those who have read and/or reviewed and/or added the story to your alerts. And to Kenji Kawai for composing the Ghost in the Shell 2 soundtrack music, even though only two of the songs with words were in English (I didn't listen to either of them while writing). And I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter since I had actually thought I had to write the whole story again but now I don't have to.**

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><p><strong>4<strong>

The trip form the last stopping point to the closest new territory's border was approximated by Grimmjow to last 2 days. 2 days, 2 nights of nearly non stop travel seeing as they didn't have much time to spare with the information of an unknown potential threat upon them. Even with the approximation allotting for short periods of resting, it would still be cutting it close. Pantera wasn't one to be running for extended periods of time, and with the extra weight of human passengers and their cargo on her back, she would definitely be set back a bit. Overall though, they were pretty sure they could make it in 2 days if all went according to plan.

2 days of travel were spent thinking out all the possibilities of what Aizen had planned for them. Seeing as Nel only had a 'feeling' that Aizen was sending something or someone after them and not a 'feeling' on what that something was, they were open to speculation. Thoughts were spread out in each traveler's respective mind, only shared on Pantera's back when neither had to worry about wasting valuable oxygen and energy that would have been better saved for moving forward. It was on one of these rides when they came to their most plausible, and by far most dangerous, conclusion.

They had been trading ideas for a while, the moon illuminating their faces in harmony with their hushed voices. Ideas ranged form untrained hollow creatures trained to hunt them down by scent alone to an array of foot soldiers to find them while destroying everything in their way. While possible, none of the ideas seemed fitting to someone of Aizen's cunning caliber. Both sat there, lost in thoughts of possible hazards for their future.

"A hunter," Grimmjow let out suddenly, voice filled with malice, yet so soft he could have just been talking to himself, the idea had suddenly came to his mind, slipping out his mouth without a moment's thought.

"Care to repeat that? I didn't quite catch your mumblings." Neliel was confused, his out of the blue words having had broken her out of her thoughts. He didn't answer, leading her to piece together the meaning of the outburst on her own. "You believe that is what Aizen is sending?" Eyebrows drew together in mindful consideration.

"It's an extremely high possibility," he let out gruffly. "Let's just say for now that he did send one. The important thing would be _which_ hunter he sent after us, more so than just the fact that he sent one." He paused a moment thinking his words over carefully. "Just putting myself in his cocky ass overconfident shoes, I'd send someone whose whole life revolves around capturing and/or killing people for other people."

Neliel considered his words, shifting through her mind's visual memories for someone who'd fit the description. Unfortunately for her, he youth had been quite sheltered, associations with people such as hunters being seen as 'beneath' her. Cursing her upbringing, she turned her ideas to her quite _un_-sheltered traveling companion.

"So put yourself in his shoes again. Who would be the right person to not only hunt us down but also, assuming they see you as a threat, kill you in the process?"

Grimmjow snorted lightly. "Amazing how you assume that I would associate myself with these types of people, even so to know that much about any of those people. By your standards, princess, I might seem dangerous. But compared to all the other life forms in this shit hole, I'm just your everyday Samaritan. Hell, compared to some of then, I may as well be a priest.

"Either way, I'm not enough of an idiot to associate myself with someone who sees me as a fun and easy way to make some cash. They let you think you're safe hanging with them, then they turn and corner you. Pretentious bastards. Turning you in for an offense that they've probably committed to an even higher degree than you originally did. Then again, I'm not exactly the most moral person myself, but at least I'm not a filthy blood traitor."

A blood traitor? Of course in Neliel's entire upbringing the occupation of being a hunter was seen as something filthy, but from the perspective of the people in charge, the job was a godsend, keeping them form having to dispatch their own troops just to find one person. But calling them a blood traitor seems a little harsh. She supposed in the way that Grimmjow explained them, it was easy for her to understand why the 'everyday Hueco Mundo citizen' would dislike them, but what makes money makes money, right?

"So what you mean by all of that is that you have not the slightest idea as to who Aizen has sent after us?" Neliel asked, trying to get back to more pressing matters.

"Never said that. Do I know who in specific he sent? No. But I do know what type of person he most like sent, which is the next best thing."

"I wouldn't go as far as to say that, but is suppose it will suffice. Being able to form a vague strategy is better than having none at all."

"Exactly," the bluenette drawled out. "Picture this: I'm Aizen and am in need of someone to catch this dangerously witty and gorgeous high crime mastermind who has 'kidnapped' his lands most _precious and pure_ treasure. Extremely high priority task, right? Well if I were him I wouldn't just hire the average hunter who'd just want money in return because there are so many things that can go wrong with that. I'd get someone with a greater, non materialistic incentive in mind, who'd do practically anything to obtain it. Someone who is dangerous, while not necessarily needing to be obedient, but at least enough so that they can be used as one of my pawns. Someone who can not only strategize on their own, but who has an immense power that they alone can fit perfectly into their plans. And not just an immense power. I'm talking _special_ power…or rather, unique _talents_ perhaps?"

In his mind, Grimmjow had already conjured up what this brief description eluded to. What he wanted to know was whether or not the girl was sharp enough to catch what he was throwing out. By her facial expression, the message had been received.

Brow raised in question, nose wrinkled, she eyed him with suspicion. "Are you trying to insinuate that the desperate sap Aizen is sending is not only a hunter, but a hunter who happens to be an _Espada_?" Coming out of her mouth the idea sounded crazy. Then again, it was.

"Why yes I am. Though I doubt the man is a, as you 'so kindly' put it, 'desperate sap'?"

She rolled her eyes at his foolish chidings. "Oh please. Espada are just an old legend. They _aren't _real."

Ignoring the dismissive tone in his companion's voice, Grimmjow threw her argument right back in her face, smirking in smug satisfaction. "Princess, are we not on our way to the Spiritual Oasis? As far as I'm concerned, if we're going to believe this fabled oasis is real, then all other legends and the sort are fair game. Now think, what is more important to our kind, or rather, my kind, than money?"

Deciding to pretend that she'd heard a kinder argument, Neliel thought the question over. 'Hard to say seeing as they'd all sell out easily for just a taste of it. Considering that sort of greed was not an issue though, they'd probably move on to be greedy about something that isn't tangible. Freedom? Power? Violence?"

"Good? Now who'd want those three things?"

Blinking a few times she gave him a blank look. "You know my knowledge in these sorts of 'common' things isn't as extensive as I'd like it to be, so why do you expect me to answer that question? The best I can give is a shunned, power hungry outcast at the bottom of the hierarchy who has a lot of blood lust."

"Congratulations. You're best was all we needed to know. An Espada being rewarded with power and a chance at shedding some blood and taking some lives. That is our biggest potential threat.

**~...~...~...~**

After 2 days of travel, with only a few short breaks in-between, all three travelers were elated at the idea that their destination was not that far off. Feet sinking in the sand, all of their paces had long since begun to slow from exhaustion.

"How fat away is it now?" Neliel asked, hands rubbing the skin of her arms in attempt to ward off the unfamiliar desert chill.

A few paces in front of her, Grimmjow gazed down at his map, the black line of their trek steadily shortening across the paper with each step they took closer to the border. While most of the path from the palace to the northern border had disappeared, the line leading to the Spiritual Oasis's location remained long. He lifted his eyes from the map, giving a quick glance to his traveling companion, rolling his eyes at her theatrics.

"Not much further," he answered. "About three more miles, though we won't be able to actually see _it_ until we're in a one mile radius." The word it came out of his mouth with an exaggerated interest, hinting that he was speaking of more than just the border.

"Excuse my ignorance, but what is this 'it' you sound so eager to see?" In the young woman's ears the question sounded innocent enough, but she knew that a smirk was building up on the blunette's face without even having to see it.

And right she was. Head turning to look at her, he gave her a chiding glance. "The Meet, of course," he stated as if it was totally obvious. Not even waiting for her to express her lack of knowledge on the subject, he continued on. "While the skies of Hueco Mundo remain in this never changing state of nighttime, minus the Week of the Sun, the skies in all the other territories experience both day and night every 24 hours. The Meet is where these two skies conjoin."

The name itself was pretty self explanatory, but he supposed to someone who'd never really spent much time out of the walls of Los Noches, the need to know these sorts of things might not have seemed that great. Either way, the enchantment of the idea was enough to set them both of with a renewed vigor until they were out of Hueco Mundo, taking an unplanned break at the site of the Meet.

**~...~...~...~**

Black star dotted skies reached out to kiss those of an array of sunset orange and red hues, their edges blurring into a misty white. Pure sand glistened in the settling sun, mingling with stalks of grass only to be wiped out in a sea of green. Desert meets forest clearing. Cold meets warmth. Death meets life. Harsh and unforgiving meets a new chance. And in the middle lay a peaceful euphoria.

"Beautiful." The word slipped from the mouth of the young green haired woman without her knowledge.

Azure eyes once set on the clashing skies, settled on the green haired heir next to him, examining her reaction to the view. At peace and in admiration. Her shock at the beauty of natures finest amused him. Amused him until the expression took a sharp turn.

The ache that was usually dull in upbeat, steadily rising to a higher frequency in Neliel's head was not so forgiving this time around. It came out of the blue, the waves of pain erupting from her skull and into the two distinct locations at the top of her head. Teeth ground together, hands reaching for the pained areas in a futile attempt to push it all away.

"Hey, hey! You alright there?" Grimmjow asked, confused as to what was happening.

The words were faint in her pain ridden mind. Agony. Pure agony with a hint of nausea running through her stomach. The world before her began to swim, the land below her swaying like an ocean wave. She closed her eyes, counting to ten in her mind before opening them slowly again. The ocean never left, it easily pulling her under, surprising her when she never made contact with the ground.

"Nel?" called Grimmjow, patting the green haired woman's cheek in an attempt to snap her out of whatever spell she was under. One moment she was fine, gazing at nature's beauties and the next she was trembling in pain, clutching her skull as if it were collapsing in on itself. Then, before he knew it, she was falling down. Of course, he was able to lean an arm out to catch her, supporting her half limp body, but the woman wasn't as light as she looked to just be randomly crashing down at the spur of the moment.

Her eyes were clenched shut, lips mouthing words he couldn't understand before _it_ happened. Dead weight in his arm, her stomach churned dangerously, eyes opening once more and bringing in a fresh slew of nausea. Mind losing to the matter in her stomach, she promptly managed to turn to her empty side and heave the contents of her stomach out of her body. Two times, then a half assed third before everything went dark.

Mind slowly processing what had just happened before his eyes, the blue haired man looked down at the woman on his arm, then to the mess that she had made, two words slipping out of his mouth.

"Oh _fuck_."

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><p><strong>AN: I actually favor this chapter starting at the mentions of the Meet parts. That's sort of where all the foreshadowing for the upcoming chapters kicks in. And in case anyone's curious, Grimmjow's map is 'magical'. You plan the path out on it, and as you travel, the covered area erases itself. Its like GPS only you're on foot. So its more like when I first got my phone that has GPS and I used it to walk to the gas station and the Dollar General (both of which I know the way to by heart).<strong>


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